Ajit Pawar's Wife vs Supriya Sule In Family Stronghold? Sharad Pawar Reacts

A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister hinted at fielding his wife Sunetra against his cousin Supriya Sule from Baramati, veteran leader Sharad Pawar said his nephew was "trying to make people of the constituency emotional."

"He is making people emotional by saying that the whole family is on one side and he is alone on the other," Mr Pawar said.

"In a democracy, everyone has the right to contest elections. If someone is exercising that right then there is no reason to complain about it. People know what we have done in the last 55-60 years," he said.

Baramati has traditionally been a bastion of Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule. Ms Sule has represented the Baramati constituency for three consecutive terms since 2009.

Ajit Pawar made an emotional appeal to the people of Baramati yesterday to elect a "first timer" candidate, "People will come to you and ask for your votes on emotional issues but it is up to you to decide whether you will vote on emotional grounds or to continue development work and for the welfare of your future generations."

The NCP was split in July last year after Ajit Pawar along with eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.

The Election Commission earlier this month ruled the Ajit Pawar faction would be recognised as the 'real NCP', thereby giving it control over the party name and symbol (a clock) weeks before the Lok Sabha election and polls to fill six to-be-vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

Sharad Pawar yesterday had said that he was not worried about losing the NCP name and symbol but asserted people did not approve of those who chose to go on a different path, a reference to the rebellion by Ajit Pawar.

It is "amusing" to hear from these persons that they left as they wanted to work for development, Mr Pawar had said.